


The Tale of Bianca Solace

by MyrrhHymns (Timenezes)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Doctor Will, I don't know much about that, I really didn't think this through, I suck at uploading, Kid Fic, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Punk Nico, Single Parent Will, They're adults, Writer Nico, new readers beware, or anything, they're in their 30s
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-06 07:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4212528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timenezes/pseuds/MyrrhHymns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico is drinking coffee at the park when a lost girl finds him. His heart melts when he hears her name: Bianca Solace. His heart melts again when he meets her father.<br/>-or-<br/>The Solangelo kid fic that nobody asked or wanted, but a sleepless night and way too much chocolate milk made me write it anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet Bianca Solace

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta’d. English is not my first language. And this is my first fan fiction, so please be kind.

As much as it physically burns to admit it, Reyna was right. The weather was perfect. Nico was sitting in his favorite spot in the park, just by the pine tree. Reyna pretty much dragged him outside that day, claiming he couldn’t spend a single minute longer locked inside his apartment. Something about being a shut-in or something. Hell, Nico was now just starring at the people walking by; he could do it in his apartment too. Nico could also almost feel the judgmental looks people gave him. Some people just see black clothing, earring, and visible tattoos and knock themselves up with judgment and assumptions. Nico had learned how to cope with this a long time ago: let them talk. His appearance would probably be the most exciting thing of most of these people days anyway.  
  
Nico always carried with him a small notebook; some ideas were too good to waste. This day out was impressively inspiring. Drinking his coffee in the park, Nico saw countless potential characters. There was a teenage red haired girl walking a dog. She would be a perfect character: rust on the edge, yet beautiful. The freckled face and the plaid shirt edging the charming and the cliché. Nico called her Wendy, the lumberjack. Just when Nico was about to estipulate the girl’s background history, a tiny hand pulled him out of the zone by the hem of his shirt.  
  
The first thing Nico noticed was the blue of her eyes. It was like a pair of marbles made out of pure summer sky. But there was no sparkle on those eyes; Nico realized she was almost crying. She was no more than four years old, tanned skin and a beautiful dark hair, her eyebrows knitted together, as if she was using all her willpower not to cry. It took Nico a little bit too long to realize he had a toddler in verge of tears attached to his shirt. He knelt down to her level carefully, trying not to force her impressive strong hand out of his shirt. “Well hello, sweetheart.” Nico said in his sweetest tone, and received a choky sound for an answer; the girl was really trying her hardest not to cry. “My name is Nico. What’s your name, sweetheart?”  
  
“Bianca.” She answered in a small voice.  
  
The pull in Nico’s heart was physical. He has never met anyone with the same name as his sister. He wasn’t ready for this, and didn’t know how to cope the blooming feeling of both happiness and sadness in his chest. “That is- That’s a lovely name, princess.”  
  
She almost shouted in Nico’s face “I am not a princess!” She was deadly serious, as if Nico personally offended her. “Princesses do nothing! They are weak! I am not weak!” The girl was fierce, almost furious, but for once, she didn’t seem like she was about to cry, so Nico went with it. “Oh, I see… You are not a princess. You are a warrior! You are a hunter! You don’t wait for rescue, you rescue yourself!” With every word of Nico, the girl’s eyes seemed to sparkle. She agreed with a loud “yes” and jumped on the bench, both fists punching the air, “I’m a hunter!”  
  
“And who are we hunting now, little warrior?”  
  
“My Daddy!” she answered throwing her fists into the air.  
  
“So let’s hunt your Daddy!”  
  
And that is how Nico spent his morning outside, by Reyna’s orders; running around the park with a mysterious little girl with dark hair, blue eyes and the same name as his sister. While searching, Nico told her his version of Rapunzel’s story, just the way young Bianca would love. The story of how the young red-haired lumberjack named Wendy found a tower in the woods with no doors and inside there was a trapped girl, named Rapunzel. The young girl in return told him about her life, her age, her father, who apparently was some kind of superhero. Not a word said about her mother, so Nico ignored that. Carrying her or spinning her, they continued to look for her father. Well, Nico was just trying to make her visible for the father who obviously should be looking for Bianca. The girl continued to talk about herself, her father, and apparently, someone called Aunt Lou was very important for her. As expected, her favorite Disney movie was Mulan, and she wanted to fight just like her. Nico told a little bit about himself, just enough the little girl could comprehend. He told her he wrote books, he had earrings and it wasn’t a thing just for girls. He explained the drawings in his arm were tattoos, and it was permanent, he couldn’t just wash it off. The girl didn’t have any siblings, so he told her about Hazel, her husband Frank and their little baby called Ariana. She also told Nico her last name, and somehow it just fitted her even more perfectly. Her name was Bianca Solace.  
  
They kept walking around the park in the same pattern, in different speeds. The point was to make little Bianca visible to her father anyways. A cry came across the sidewalk, calling her name, and the little girl’s head turned way too fast with a huge smile in her face. “Daddy!” She let go of Nico and ran towards a blond man. No, scratch that. He wasn’t just blond; his hair was pure sunshine, a sun kissed skin covered with freckles, and wire rimmed eyeglasses. He called her again, running towards her and covered her with his hug. The hug somehow took Nico aback, he wasn’t just hugging the girl, and he was somehow covering her completely, sheltering her. He was her father undoubtedly, covering her with kisses. And she wasn’t reacting at all to the kisses or the hug, like it was something ordinary for her. And it probably was. He carried her in his arms and turned to Nico, and suddenly his mouth was dry. The golden hair, the freckles, his sky blue eyes behind thin glasses, the strong jawline and the small hint of stubble; everything was way too much for Nico. The stranger’s moth was a thin tense line and his eyebrows knitted together, just like his daughter when Nico first saw her. He seemed like he was about to say something before Bianca pretty much squealed. “Daddy! Daddy! This is Nico, my new friend! We were hunting you together!” The beautiful stranger’s face changed for something almost like a confused puppy. It was adorable.  
  
“Bianca found me on the other side of the park, she was looking for you. Together, we hunted you down. She is a brave little warrior, your daughter.” Nico added with a small smile.  
  
“Nico and I are hunters! That’s how we found you daddy! Did you know Nico can fight with sword just like Mulan? He is going to teach me!” Her compliments made Nico blush a little. Or maybe the smile her father gave him, after hearing Bianca speaking so fondly of him. “Daddy, Daddy! Can I keep playing with Nico? Pleeease?” Nico discovered Bianca’s super power that instant, she had the world’s most irresistible puppy eyes. The smile her father gave her was small, intimate and perfect, and Nico’s heart was melting and racing at the same time.  
  
“Sure, you can play with him for a while.” He turned to Nico, “Nico, right?” Looking at his smile was almost like staring at the sun. It took a while to process the hand given to him.  
“Yes, yes. Nico di Angelo.” He answered, reaching the hand and shaking it. It was abnormally warm. A simple handshake made Nico uneasy; he asked himself what was wrong with him.  
“Very nice to meet you, Nico. I am Will. Will Solace.”


	2. Ninna Nanna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for the kudos and the comments, guys.  
> I am very sorry for the delay. College is a bitch.

Will was out of his mind. He couldn’t find Bianca anywhere. It felt like hours searching for her. The world was crumbling. He swore, four years ago he’d do anything to protect her, but now she was somewhere out there alone and vulnerable. The air was getting thicker and his strength was leaving his body along with his heat. That feeling, the feeling that he would die if anything happened to his baby girl was back, an every second past it was getting stronger, and the air, thicker.

He saw her before she saw him.

Bianca was walking holding hands with some punk about his own age, undercut, tattoos all over his arm and earrings. Waves of relief, anger and concern fought for control inside him, and he screamed her name. She smiled and waved, in complete ease. It turned out the punk’s name was Nico, and he never saw someone older get along so well with Bianca as he did. After the initial shock, obviously, he could see the smile in her face that even himself sometimes had a hard time to make her. She asked him if she could still play with her newest friend, and Will almost denied her that. Until, of course, she made her irresistible puppy eyes. Will tried to give her the most apologetic answer he could cope.

“Well, Bia. Only if your new friend can play with you.”

The beam of her eyes redirected to the other man, Will could look at him again. His eyes, however, stuck on the other man’s eyes. An indescribable look, different, yet just like every single one of the five glares Will caught from him. Not that he was counting. The beautiful stranger, at that moment target of the younger pair of blue eyes, seemed at so much ease with Bianca. It made something tug inside him. Maybe it really was a danger alarm inside of him the instant intimacy of a stranger with his baby girl. Or maybe it was that no one, not even Lou Ellen, had made Bianca smile so much besides himself. Whoa! Did Will just called the punk “beautiful” in his head? What was wrong with- Wait again, the stranger was saying something.

“I would love to keep playing with you! May we play together, Mr. Solace?”

That was awkward, right? It was awkward. It had to be.

“Of course you may. Just keep on sight, please. I’m just gonna text someone and will be right with you two. And please, call me Will.”

It is just a short text to Lou Ellen and Cecil. “Found Bianca. Everything’s fine.” She answered with a little joke, calling him “grandma”, followed by a more sincere text. Cecil just lecture him via text. A few empty threats from both of them. He was watching Bianca and the boy Nico between texts. He realized “boy” wasn’t the right term for Nico. Sure, he was a boy playing with Bianca. They found sticks somewhere and used them as swords, sparring and giggling. But after a second glance, Will saw the wrinkles in his face. Actually, calling him boy altogether was just wrong. Nico clearly had the same age as him, if not older. And calling a 30-ish dude boy was just wrong.

>”You are way too cheerful for someone who almost lost his daughter today. Spill.”  
<"Bullocks, Lou Ellen!"  
>”Evasive much? You met someone.”  
>”Is it a chick? Is she cute?”  
<”Ok, I got it.”  
>”It’s a guy, then.”  
>”I bet he’s hunky.”  
>”I’m telling Cecil.”

Before he could even think of an answer, Bianca demanded his attention. “Daddy! Daddy! I conquered the dragon!” He almost chocked in air. Bianca was standing up in a groaning Nico splayed on the grass, waving her stick, sword, in the air. She was stepping on his chest and Will’s body ached in empathy. So Will did the only appropriate thing to do on this situation. He ran toward them, grabbed his her by the hips and threw her in the air. Nico’s voice came from beneath, “Look Hunter! Your Pegasus came to help you on your next hunt!”

She was confused; Will knew she had no idea what a Pegasus was. “I am Pegasus, your flying horse”, he said holding her upside down. “What is your next target, Hunter?” She got it fast. And soon enough the three of them were playing with their imagination; countless enemies, but many allies fighting by their side. Bianca’s high-pitched laugh was music to her father. It had been weeks since he last played with his daughter for so long, and he sure missed the fun; she was always smiling near her, but they hadn’t have fun together for a long while. He didn’t even realized the time passing until Bianca started yawning.

“We should go home, Bia.” He tried to say in the sweetest tone. It really broke Will’s heart to be the one to interrupt the fun time.  
“No! I wanna be here and play with Nico!” She nearly screamed. She never screamed with Will, and he didn’t know how to proceed for a moment. Nico intervened before his answer.  
“Why don’t we do this way: your dad can go get us some water, and we’ll stay here while I tell you a story?” His tone was sweet, and honestly, almost fatherly. The initial tug in his guts came back, only stronger. He gave his daughter a kiss on the top of her head and left. He knew the places where the vending machines were, so there was no need to wander.

The instant he grabbed the second bottle of water it hit him. He just left his daughter alone with someone he met in less than three hours ago. Alone, sleepy and vulnerable. He ran back as fast as he could, cursing himself for being so trustful. What in the world was he thinking? He was scared to let his mind go to the possible terrible scenarios, so he tried to focus on one single though is “she still there?”

He returned to the grass field there were with his heart on his mouth, and a wave of relief washed his body when he saw Bianca where he left her.

And he saw the reality of the unprecedented. Nico was singing. Bianca never liked lullabies. She was also comfortably snuggled in Nico’s arm, the side of her head, burying herself on his dark shirt. Nico was singing. It was not in in English, but it definitely was a lullaby. Bianca had a small smile on the visible half of her head, and her visible eye was sparkling with fascination and sleep at the same time. It wasn’t Nico who was singing, it was an angel disguised as a late twenty’s punk dude. Nico was singing with a fond smile in his lips, but eyes so full with sadness. Will had no idea what language Nico was singing, but it sure was a lullaby, and lullabies weren’t supposed to be so heartbreaking. The last words reached Will and he touched his face in an unintentional movement. His cheek had wet path down from his eyes. He tried to dry the off, the angelic voice still floating in the air.  
_Fa la ninna, fa la nanna_  
_Nella braccia della mamma_  
“Did she sleep?” Will whispered, unnecessarily. Once she was out, Bianca slept like a rock. Nico answered only after he sat beside him.  
“Yeah, I think we exhausted her pretty bad today.”

A couple of minutes passed by in silence. Will wasn’t sure if it was awkward or not. Glob, he wasn’t even sure if he should take his daughter from the man besides him. Deciding to end this indecision, he gestured towards Bianca, and Nico seemed to get it with a nod. When the maneuver was over and Bianca was in Will’s arms, Nico stood up. He started talking almost mechanically, like a rehearsed speech. “I am very sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude in your life and your daughter, and I most certainly did not expect to-”

“Thank you.” Will interrupted. “Thank you for everything. For finding my daughter, to make us company today, for helping me.” Nico’s surprised face was marvelous. “Sit.” And he did.  
“I really didn’t find her. I was just having a coffee when she approached me. All I did was keep her company.”  
“And that’s why I’m thanking you. I know she can be a handful sometimes.” Will couldn’t stop his face from making his “goofy daddy smile”. “And it really hurts me to admit I have never seen her like someone this much. Maybe not even me.” Somehow Nico saw the joke in there, and held a little chuckle. And blushed. He had freckles on his olive skin, and the red hue mad his sharp features even sharper.

“She’s a strong little girl, you must be proud.”

“Yes, she is. And every day she makes me prouder.” Will realized if he squeezed his daughter with affection, she would wake up.  
“It’s a lovely name.”  
“What?”  
“Bianca. Your daughter has lovely name.”  
“Yes, it is. It means-”  
“Spark. It’s Italian.”  
“I am impressed you know.”  
“Yeah, it was my sister’s name.”

Will decided not to discuss the past tense.

“It was her mother who named her. It was the last thing she gave her before she left.”  
“Oh, I… I didn’t know.”  
“No problem. She didn’t want a child, so she gave up her parental rights right away It was a one night stand after all... And there is no way we’re talking this boring stuff in our first da- encounter. So tell me about yourself, Di Angelo.”

They talked for a long time, unaware of the passage of time. Nico told him about his life as a writer. His first success was in his first year of college and refused to give up his pseudonym to Will. So he told about his life as a doctor. It hasn’t been a year since he finished residence, and his love for pediatrics. He told about Lou Ellen and Cecil, his friends from college, and his goddaughter Anna, Lou Ellen’s daughter. Will tried to exchange some funny work related stories, but it didn’t quite applied for Nico, either for his line of work or simply him being secretive about the books he wrote. He did talk about Reyna, apparently his closest friend, and his sister Hazel. He had a brother in law named Frank and a niece named Ariana.  
Deep down Will knew he shouldn’t be talking about these stuff. He had just met the guy, he was supposed to talk about sports or politics. Or some boring stuff, nothing too personal. He tried to change the subject, but they ended up taking about those personal businesses again. He told Nico he was into surfing. That led the conversation about his hometown, a beach city in California. So Nico told him where he was from, he was born in Italy, his father was American, so he had dual citizenship. And he spoke Italian. That piece of information popped something inside Will. Something that would lead him to say something very stupid, some immature decision like he was a teenager with a crush.

And than Will followed his preservation instincts. He stood up, with his daughter in his lap, and turned to Nico. “It was very nice to meet you, Nico. I hope to see you again.”

Will waked away. It wasn’t until he arrived at his apartment and looked at Lou Ellen hate text for being ignored that he realized the biggest of his mistakes. He forgot to ask Nico for his number.

“Bubble head.” He cursed himself, “You are even worse than a teenager with a crush.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have this headcanon that Will cannot curse like, at all. So he says those silly things they use in cartoons for profanity. :p  
> I thought this fic would be shorter, but I just couldn’t resist the temptation to make a little more out of Daddy Will.  
> I’ll see you guys soon!


	3. Meet Ariana Zhang-Levesque

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so so so so so sorry for keeping you guys waiting. Even though I can’t promise you I’ll post regularly, I promise you I will try harder with the next chapter.  
> Also this chapter is a little shorter and might have some (a lot) of mistakes. I have to stop writing at 3 AM.
> 
> Enjoy!

The next time Nico meets Will and Bianca is at the grocery shop. Because obviously, he’d meet hot single father Will again at a grocery shop like the cliché that is his life. They meet in the cereal aisle, and Bianca is somehow convincing her father to buy two different kinds of cereal. Will denies at first, but after Bianca starts pouting, he leans down and kisses her forehead. Something’s whispered and Nico’s ears couldn’t catch. Bianca is giggling in a heartbeat. And Will is just… He’s just looking at her with that face he made all the time Nico caught a glimpse of Will watching him playing with Banca that afternoon… She sees him first and almost screams his name with a huge smile on her face. Will follows up next and having those sky blue eyes directed at him makes him weak in the knees. His smile is exactly like he remembers, too bright to look directly and Nico has to brace himself before he listens to his voice again.

Except none of this is true. He doesn’t meet Will again for weeks. Three fucking weeks. And that’s killing Nico, because he knows he didn’t do anything wrong. Well, he’s pretty sure. Except when he talks about this with Reyna over coffee, he realized he’d forgotten the most crucial stupid detail. He had forgotten to give Will his number. His fucking number. Now all he has left is fantasizing about meeting him again, a nearly impossible quest on this gigantic city.

“You have it bad, huh?” 

Nico glared at Reyna across the table. He wouldn’t acknowledge her comment with an answer. 

“I’m serious, Nico! I haven’t heard you swear this much since the day you lost your toenail kicking the furniture.” She pushed it further and Nico lowered his glare to the coffee cup. “Are you trying to boil the coffee with your eyes, Di Angelo?” 

“I gotta go.” Nico stood up. 

“Nico, wait!” She waited until he looked at her to continue. “Everything is going to turn out fine, don’t worry.”

“Thanks, Reyna.” He answered with a small smile before leaving.

 

Outside the coffee shop, the cool air slapped Nico in the face. It was nice in a weird way, like a reality shock. He took a deep breath. Reina only had his best interests in mind, he new that. But he was leaving his house every day since he met Will, hoping they’d meet again. So far he only stressed himself out thinking about meeting the guy again. He took another deep breath, he had more urgent matters to deal right now. His deadline was approaching and he wasn’t even close to finishing his last chapter, so he went home. To work, of course, not to worry about golden hair and blue eyes.

 

In the end, he doesn’t finish the chapter until the last hour of the deadline. His editor would sure want to cut him in half or some other grotesque and weirdly precise threat if he misses the deadline again. 

 

The phone ring woke Nico up.

“Hazel?”

“Ariana is sick. Frank is still out of town, take me to the hospital.”

Nico jumped out of the bed completely alert. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. How is she?”

“She’s been coughing since yesterday and she said her chest hurts.”

“I’ll pick you up soon.”

“Drive safe.” His heart squeezed tight in fear. Little Ariana, Frank and Hazel’s four year old daughter was one of the most special people in the world to him. 

The whole thing passed in a haze. Arriving at Hazel’s, driving to the hospital, but the waiting room is by far the worst part. Small Ariana was having trouble breathing and had to be transferred to the pediatrician emergency room right away while he had nothing to do but wait and worry. His niece was only four years old and it was like she lived every single minute of her life to discover a new thing about the world. She was learning how to read and she loved to read every single visible word in the city. When she wasn’t reading out loud she was singing with all the power of her lungs and Nico couldn’t love her more. In one of his books he made Ariana the main character, with her brown skin just like her mother’s her father’s eyes and a hair that somehow combine both her parents halfway. The waiting room was downright disturbing, with bad lighting and no windows and it weighted down on him, time refused to pass. Half an hour or two hours later, Hazel and Ariana left the restricted area and Nico ran to hug his nice. 

“She is fine, Nico. It was allergy, but she’s fine now. We don’t know exactly what caused it, but we’ll run some test tomorrow to make sure.” His sister reassured and he could finally take a deep breath, relieved.

“Alright Mrs. Zhang-Levesque, We’ll see you tomorrow.” Said a familiar voice behind his sister. The voice that gave him a shiver though his spine. A voice he is still denying he daydreams about it, all croaky and warm. “And you too, Ariana. You’ll come, right?”

“Yes I will, Dr. Solace!” She answered pushing her clingy uncle away, leaving him exposed to the golden hair and sky blue eyes.

“Nico!” His smile was still too bright to look at, like staring at the sun. 

“Hey, Will! These are my sister and her daughter!” So what he was panicking a little? The doctor had caught him off guard. 

“Yeah, I’ve met them earlier.” His smile was turning crocked and smug, like he was seeing though Nico’s poor façade. The doctor was quiet for a few moments, most likely waiting a response from him, but all the Italian could do was open and close his mouth gaping like a fish out of water. And blush, Nico could feel the heat spreading through his face and knowing he was blushing only made him blush harder. “I’ll tell you this, my shift ends at 7, can you meet me at that coffee shop across our park around 8 o’clock?” He was somehow different from their first meeting, all smug and flirtatious and Nico was feeling kind of overwhelmed by all of this. And Will looked extremely good in the hospital uniform and this fact was surely not helping. So Nico nodded, and the blonde just winked and turned around, leaving through the door he came.

“See you there!” Nico managed to say before Will was out of earshot and the doctor just waved his hand without turning around. So smug. 

And took him a few seconds to remember his sister was there too. Watching the whole thing in silence. Well, fuck.

“Don’t even start.” He tried. Well, tried. 

“What does Doctor Pretty Eyes meant by ‘our park’? And how dare you not telling me you had a boyfriend?” Her face is a mixture of happiness and weariness.

“He’s not my boyfriend! I found his kid lost in a park the other day, that’s it.”

“But you like him, right? He’s long gone and you’re still blushing! Wait a minute. His kid? He has a kid? What have you put yourself into this time, Nico? A hot doctor with a kid. And you’re so hooked”

“Not you too, Hazel!” He let it out before he realized he had said it. 

“What do you mean ‘too’? Who did you talked to before your own sister? It was Reina, wasn’t it?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “She’s stealing my brother from me!” She slapped his arms, joyfully but strong.

“Ouch!” Although he flinched, it didn’t really hurt.

“Well, bygones, right? Come on, we gotta hurry!”

“Why?”

“We have to get you ready for your date, of course! When was the last time you showered?” Nico blushed again, but for other reasons now.

“I won’t dignify it with an answer.”

“Fancy words won’t save you now, my brother. Come on, Ariana, we’re gonna visit your uncle’s house!” The little girl’s eyes were shining with joy.

“Are you gonna cook to us, uncle?”

“Of course, sweety. What do you want me to cook?”

“Pasta!”

“How about I make you some tiramisu today and we eat pasta this weekend?” She made a serious face, like it was the most important decision she had to make.

“Okay. But I get to choose the sauce!” Nico laughed, thinking he had to learn to say no to Ariana soon. Next week, he settled. He’s been settling for “next week” four years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just to be clear, Little Ariana isn’t based on Ariana Grande, but actually the beautiful Miss Japan 2015 Ariana Miyamoto. She’s the first mixed blood Miss Japan and I’m fascinated with her. I know Frank has Chinese heritage, but please google her and consider Ariana Zhang-Levesque. Thank you all for the kudos and comments, they really mean a lot.  
> Also Nico is a wonderful cook and I will fight with anyone who disagrees.


	4. Coffee and Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry. I really am. There’s no excuse for this update so late. It’s just because I’m a little lazy shit. But I hope you enjoy it!

 

Will was screwed. So magnificently screwed. Language, he said to himself. His desperation wasn’t motive for fowl language. But yes, he was screwed. It’s easy for him to get carried away while he was on duty, he’s not only comfortable when he wears the white coat and walks by the way too cold halls of the Children’s Hospital. He had just delivered the diagnosis of a lovely little girl with dark skin bright eyes when he’s surprised by the adorable guy, well… men, from the park. His skin isn’t as pale as the day they met; now the Italian displays a lovely olive skin. It fitted him and made Will’s guts to do a back flip. So it wasn’t really his fault when he got overconfident and asked Nico out, but he was definitely regretting when he looked at his locker at the end of the shift and saw his spare clothes, an old t-shirt with a medical pun (I hope you find this _humerous_ ) and an even older jeans.

 

Oh well, that had to be enough, if he’d planned it he’d have time to go back home and take a shower. Or maybe even make reservations for dinner, so he could’ve tuck Bianca in and… Wait. Bianca! He shot a text to Cecil informing him he’d come home later today. Cecil, predictably, figured out what was going on and didn’t waste the opportunity to fluster Will.

>”Is the boy wonder back in town? Bianca asks if you’ll be home by bedtime.”

<”Tell her I will, it’s a daddy promise.”

He wouldn’t give Cecil the luxury of turning this on Nico. Ever since Cecil and Lou Ellen found out the blonde blushed easily, they turned making Will flush an Olympic sport. They hadn’t discovered Will flustered only by thinking of the Italian.

 

And Nico surely was looking really good today. Not only the olive skin, but also the memory of Nico’s silky hair tied in a short ponytail, exposing the pale curves of his neck and his pierced ears… Will felt his ears heating up and tried thinking of literally anything else, he’d have enough time to think about Nico later. He waved goodbye to the coworkers on his way out, promising to catch up with them later because now he had to run. The park wasn’t far from the hospital, so Will walked steadily, planning on ordering some tea beforehand. Chamomile, for the nerves.

 

The blonde managed to compose himself while sipping the tea, he checked the clock, there was still time. He finished the tea and threw the paper cup on the trashcan. Arriving early wasn’t a great idea after all. Every minute the clock approached 8 he got more nervous. He knew it was kinda unnecessary, this wasn’t their first date, but it was their first _official_ date. His palms were sweating and he thought about bailing for a second. But he wouldn’t bail on Nico nor miss the opportunity of seeing him again. And it would be rude, so his nerves had to suck it up and deal with it. Oh, foul mouth. He hadn’t swear this much since high school.

 

His mind was starting to wander into the relationship territory; he already knew Nico was good with kids. Actually, he was good with Bianca and she loved him. On the days following their fateful meet at the park, she couldn’t talk about anything but Nico and their adventures, how he called her Hunter and their quests. The memories brought a small smile in the corner of his mouth. Bianca loved the other man and it had pained Will to tell her he didn’t have his number so he couldn’t call him and ask him to come over. Well, if everything went well today at least Bianca would’ve made a new friend.

 

A gentle cough brought him back to reality, and oh Will was glad he was in this reality. In front of him was a blushing and looking anywhere but in Will’s direction. The man was wearing a tight black v-neck with what he assumed was a rock band logo and dark _tight_ jeans. His arms were bare and Will just couldn’t look away from the olive skin over slim toned muscles. He had a few rings, piercings and at least a dozen bracelets with all hues of black, violet and silver. The Italian was dressed to impress and boy, he sure impressed the doctor, who was now more than ever conscious of his poor wardrobe choice.

 

Will realized he was staring and stood up as well, flailing a little.

“Nico! Hi! Hey! Uh… please sit.”

A few awkward seconds went by, both visibly unsure on the appropriate greeting. A hug? A handshake? They settled for neither, sitting down in front of each other in silence. Will was trying very hard not to stare at those miles of exposed tattooed skin.

 

“You ah… You look nice. I’m sorry about my clothes I didn’t have anything else in my locker. I’d go back home to change but then I’d arrive late and…” He covered his mouth with his hands to stop the flood of words coming out of it. He had a tendency to ramble when he was nervous, and basing on the heat he felt on the tip of his ears, he was rambling and blushing. Oh boy.

Silence fell on the table, Nico still wasn’t looking at him. Will’s guts clenched with the awkwardness between them. Everything was going fine last time, and if today didn’t go well… Well, they’d act like adults for the sake of Bianca. Will wouldn’t let himself spoil a friendship Bianca cherished so much. He stood up.

“I’m gonna get the drinks, my treat! What do you want?”

Nico looked at him for the first time with confusion in his eyes, then averted to the menu of coffee above the counter.

“A caramel macchiato. Please.”

The blonde nodded and walked to the line to order.

 

“You look good!” the Italian blurted out when Will came back with the coffee and green tea for himself. The man’s face was red and it took the blonde one second to match the hue in his own face. “I like your shirt. It’s funny.” He continued, taking his cup from Will’s hand. “And it’s okay. My sister didn’t let me leave the house before she approved my clothes. But thank you anyway.”

 

A knot loosen up inside Will and relief flooded his system. He sat down, this time besides Nico. Their shoulders brushed slightly and his guts did another back flip, he was supposed to be used to that by now, but a part of Will wants to never feel this way. The Italian sipped his coffee before talking again.

“I’m sorry I’m being weird about it. It’s just that Hazel, my sister, she started to question me about you, about us… I guess I just got worked up and actually really fucking nervous about tonight.” He shifted slightly so he could see Will in the eyes, their knees touched. “So let’s just get over the weirdness and get this over with so we can go back to being normal.” They both smiled and the tension fled Will’s body.

“Hello. My name is Will Solace, I’m 31 and I have a daughter named Bianca. I’m a pediatrician at the Memorial Hospital.” He said grinning. He knew what Nico meant, but it was good to start like this, even as a joke.

 

“Nice to meet you, Will. I’m Nico di Angelo, I’m from Torino, in Italy. I moved to the USA when my mother passed to live with my father. I have a sister, well, half-sister from my father’s side, and a niece. You know them both. I’m writer. I’m not famous, but I’m known enough so I don’t have to work on the library anymore to pay off my rent. And believe me or not, this is the most I’ve ever revealed of my personal life at once.” He finished with a laugh. Nico’s voice was beautiful, so clear and warm.

 

They shared stories, Will told him about Bianca’s mom and how she didn’t even wanted the baby she practically dropped her by Will’s door and ran away. Nico told him about his mother and his sister and life in Italy. He avoided talking about his father, and Will got the feeling that was a story filled with disagreements. It wasn't much different from that first day at the park, but it felt good, it felt real; it felt official. The night had to end soon, the blonde explained he had to go back soon to tuck Bianca in for the night. The Italian completely understood, he said, and asked for Will’s number, something Will almost forgot (again). They promised to stay in touch and walked out of the coffee shop.

 

Once outside, Will hugged the other man tightly. Nico seemed to tense up with the touch, so the blonde started to let him go. Before he could take his arms away, Nico hugged him back. The doctor was glad, because Nico’s embrace was warm and smelled like soap, coffee and something he didn’t recognize, but he liked it anyway. They stood still for a few minutes with arms around each other, savoring the moment. The second they let go of one another, Will found himself craving the touch of the other man. Nico was warm and cold at the same time, and wherever their skins touched, it left a trail of a tingling sensation. They smiled to each other, both violently blushing and went their separate ways.

 

Will knew that was cheesy and he liked it even more. Riding the subway with a grin so wide his cheeks hurt, he couldn’t help but think to himself. _Life is good_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me all my discipline and self control and eight hours to bleed out this chapter.  
> Also, I’m officially dating my girl. Yay!

**Author's Note:**

> Please, feel free to correct me in any grammatical mistakes or inconsistences.  
> Sorry if anyone seems OOC, I tried my best.


End file.
